Shmyhal, Kallas discuss mechanism of compensation for damages caused by Russia to Ukraine

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and his Estonian counterpart Kaja Kallas have discussed the mechanism of compensation for damages caused by Russia to Ukraine.

Shmyhal said this at a joint press conference with Kallas, according to the Ukrainian government's website.

According to Shmyhal, Estonia is now a leader in terms of the amount of military and humanitarian aid provided to Ukraine per capita. So far, Estonia has provided more than EUR 520 million in security assistance to Ukraine, which is about 1.4% of the country's GDP.

"We especially appreciate Estonia's long-term support. The Government of Estonia has developed a strategy for Ukraine's victory, which provides for annual security assistance to Ukraine at 0.25% of GDP over the next four years," Shmyhal said.

He also thanked Estonia for active practical support for President Volodymyr Zelensky's Peace Formula. Estonia has recently agreed to co-lead Clause 5 of the Formula entitled "Implementation of the UN Charter and Restoration of Territorial Integrity".

Shmyhal said that Estonia also plays a leading role in the Euro-Atlantic and European integration of Ukraine.

"We expect to start negotiations on our accession to the EU already in the coming months. I am sure that Estonia is our reliable partner in this matter," Shmyhal said.

He also expressed hope that Estonia would support the decision to extend autonomous trade liberalization measures. According to him, those benefiting from duty-free trade are not only Ukrainian but also European companies that export tens of billions of U.S. dollars worth of goods and services to Ukraine.

"Also, our strategic task is to continue the development of transport logistics. In particular, we consider it promising to include Ukraine in the Rail Baltica logistics project. This will open up new opportunities for our exports and create another pillar for the Ukrainian economy," Shmyhal said.

He noted that both parties had discussed in detail the mechanism of compensation for the damages caused to Ukraine by Russia.

"There is no doubt that the losses should be compensated for at the expense of frozen Russian assets. Estonia has already completed the development of a compensation mechanism, which provides for the use of Russian funds for Ukraine's needs. We look forward to its final approval," Shmyhal said.

He also emphasized the importance of sanctioning Russian and Belarusian agricultural products.

He noted that Estonia was becoming a key partner in the issue of recovery. In particular, the country took patronage over Ukraine's Zhytomyr region.

"And we can already see the results - a kindergarten in Ovruch, a bridge in Malyn and other objects have been rebuilt. Such projects create conditions for Ukrainians to return home and serve as an example to follow," Shmyhal said.

Following the meeting, the two countries' prime ministers signed a joint statement.

Photo: www.kmu.gov.ua